Gauge Tulcea: current water level and draft

Danube · km 71.3

Measurement24cm01:00 · +10 cm/24hRule of thumb—cmDraft—cm

Shallow sections

No depth reports available from AFDJ.

Notes

Water depth is not draught. Platform Zero Incidents cites a safety margin of 20–40 cm based on German case law, depending on the riverbed, vessel type and good seamanship. This is not a fixed legal minimum. Under-keel clearance is the space between the vessel and the bed. Dynamic squat while underway reduces that space. Viadonau gives 20–40 cm as a guide for squat. Meeting and overtaking can increase it further; MARIN describes an overtaking manoeuvre with more than 70 cm of squat. Sources: Platform Zero Incidents, CCR, German court ruling, viadonau, MARIN

Water level at the Tulcea gauge

Latest reading: On 28/10/2026 at 01:00 the Tulcea gauge read 24 cm, 10 cm higher than 24 hours earlier. Source: AFDJ.

Gauge Tulcea is on the Danube, at kilometre 71.3.

Fairway depth and rule of thumb

At RNW 59 cm, the site uses 250 cm fairway depth and a 30 cm margin: Tulcea +161. This is a reference calculation, not a current sounding.

Depth reports: AFDJ.

Forecasts and neighbouring gauges

Water-level forecasts: the 5-day forecast from AFDJ (red). Upstream lies Isaccea, downstream Sulina.

The Danube in Romania

AFDJ supplies water levels, forecasts and shallow-section reports. The profile values EV, IV, C, IR and ER run from the green to the red fairway edge.
Rules of thumb per gauge and port ›